Lopez to Miss More Time

Gulfstream Park’s leading rider Paco Lopez, injured in a spill Feb. 18, will likely remain off his mounts through the weekend, according to agent Cory Moran.

Lopez, who sprained his left elbow, is still experiencing soreness, Moran said.

“Paco wants to ride, he wants to come back right now, but we have to monitor this and not have him return too soon,” said Moran. “We all want him out there, but he has to wait. We want him to extend his arm and be able to flex without any soreness.

“Right now I would say he won’t ride this weekend. It’s too bad because we’re having a great meet and we were set to ride Amy Tarrant’s filly (Pomeroys Pistol) in the Davona Dale (gr. II, Feb. 26). But Paco’s young, he’s 24, and maybe he’ll come back quicker than we think.”

Lopez leads all Gulfstream riders with 38 wins.

Meanwhile, jockey Eibar Coa, who suffered a broken C-4 vertebra in the same spill as Lopez, remains at Memorial Regional Hospital where his condition is unchanged. Coa underwent surgery Feb. 21 on a wrist he broke in the spill and was scheduled to undergo a second surgery on his C-4 later this week.